The medieval city of Avignon in southern France is not only rich in history. It's also renowned for its world-class indoor food market. Discover the inviting sights and tastes of Les Halles Avignon.
Located along the Rhone River about 30 miles north of the ancient town of Arles, the picturesque walled city of Avignon is famous for being the center of the Catholic Church during the 14th century.
But its bright and bustling food market — Les Halles d'Avignon — is one reason food worshippers are drawn to this city. Step inside this culinary wonderland to see why you should add it to your list of must-see foodie destinations.
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🇫🇷 About Les Halles Avignon
Set in a busy main square, the food market can be hard to miss from the outside. Its green foliage-covered facade almost acts as a sort of camouflage from the hustle and bustle of the city. But as soon as you pass through it, you're transported from the lively streets of central Avignon to the sensory delights of this enticing food hall.
Teeming with everything from fresh seafood, meats, and olives to decadent pastries and fine wines, Les Halles d'Avignon is an eclectic mix of colors, aromas, sounds, and flavors.
Roughly 40 vendors have stalls or shops in the hall, so it's not too overwhelming. We went on a Saturday morning, which is one of the busier times, and we didn't feel like it was too crowded or hard to get around.
In just a couple of hours at the market, we were able to sample some delicious olives, cheese, and wine and still had plenty of time to explore and do some shopping. Here's a sampling of what we saw and tried.
🐟 Seafood
One of the most striking areas of the food hall is the seafood section. Located near the back of the market, it consists of several stalls, each specializing in a different type of seafood.
Need some shrimp, prawns, or scallops? No problem. Octopus and squid? They've got you covered. An assortment of fish straight from the Mediterranean Sea? Yup.
We spent a while here checking out the wide array on display. If you have a few days to spend in Avignon and have a kitchen where you're staying, this is the perfect place to pick up some fresh seafood for a delicious lunch or dinner.
🧀 Cheese
France is known for its diverse and delicious cheeses, so it's no surprise that Les Halles Avignon has a vast cheese selection to peruse and try. Which we did, along with some slices of bread!
Our samples included a local, soft goat cheese called Banon, as well as some Cantal, an aged French cow's cheese. Both were delicious and were accompanied by a small glass of white wine to wash it all down.
🫒 Olives
One of our favorite stalls in the food hall was a vendor who specialized in a variety of olives and tapenades. We were able to taste a few different kinds of each and loved all of them.
However, the most surprising bite we had there wasn't an olive at all. But the vendor insisted we give it a try. It was a whole clove of garlic pickled in white vinegar for eight months, then kept in olive oil.
At first, we were a little hesitant to just pop an entire garlic clove in our mouths, but we're glad we did. The pickling neutralized any overpowering garlic flavor and replaced it with a delightfully mellow taste. They could be a great complement to olives on a charcuterie board, for example.
🍋 Fresh fruits and vegetables
The produce at the food market was also a feast for the senses. Fresh plums, berries, and radishes were abundant, but an assortment of other fruits and veg were also available. We had to resist reaching out and sampling one of the bright red strawberries. It all looked so good!
🍗 Poultry
From the fruit stand, we headed over to the poultry section. And let's just say it was very fresh! The specialty here was pigeon. Recently plucked and yes, with the heads still on. You can request the butcher remove them before you buy, but we weren't going to be cooking any pigeon on our short stay in Avignon, so we just kept walking to our next destination.
🍷 Wine
And that destination was the wine section. Luckily for us, they were pouring a few samples the day we visited! Avignon is located in the southern part of the Rhone Valley, an area known for Cotes du Rhone wines, which is what we tried.
One of the most pleasant parts of visiting France is the affordability of the wine. And this was no different. The one we tasted was elegant and delicious and sold for under €20 a bottle (or about $21). The vendor also gave us some background on the wine region as we sipped and listened along, making for a great, interactive experience.
🗺️ Visiting Les Halles d'Avignon
We visited the market during a week-long AmaWaterways cruise up the Rhone River. Since we just had a few hours in this charming city, it was the perfect way to spend the morning.
We got to sample some fresh and tasty foods and wines, and we even got to practice our rusty French. That said, many of the vendors were happy to speak English with us if we asked.
Located at Place Pie, the market is in the center of the walled part of the city, about a 15-minute walk from the Rhone River or the Avignon Centre train station. Helpful signs are also located throughout the city to help you find your way.
It's open year round Tuesdays through Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
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Disclosure: This was part of an AmaWaterways press trip along the Rhone River. All opinions and photos are, as always, our own.
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